Twisted Scrolls (Part One)
by Sage A. Willow
Summary: Ashlynn has won the Twisted Metal competition. After her meeting with Calypso, she ends up meeting one of the true masterminds behind the competition. She had no idea what she's gotten herself into. (Rated M for language & a mention of mild sexual content)
1. Chapter 1

The doors open and I walk into Calypso's office. He's sitting at his desk at the end of the room, looking over a file of one of my competitors that didn't make it. He sees me approach and sets the file down. I notice he was reading Kingsley's file, the file of my one ally.

"Ah, Ashlynn. Please sit down." I sit across from his desk and he begins to speak. "You have won this year's Twisted Metal competition through resourcefulness and betrayal." He motions toward Kingsley's file and says, "You even let your own ally die because you felt he slowed you down. But most of all," he leans forward and adds in a stern voice, "you won through cowardice. You did no fighting yourself. You used the arena hazards and Kingsley as your ammunition. I see now why you named your car 'Cricket' and why jumping and disabling was your choice of attack. You never fought for yourself. You dodged attacks and evaded traps." He leans back in his chair and just adds, "You don't deserve your wish. You didn't earn it. What do you have to say, Ashlynn?"

I sit there in dumbfounded silence. I had rehearsed my wish a thousand times over because I expected him to only ask me about that. I wasn't prepared for this. _If he disapproves of my answer, will I not get my wish?_

"Well, Ashlynn?" Calypso asks in minor annoyance. I open my mouth to speak then close it again, not knowing what to say.

Calypso sighs, "It doesn't matter. The competition is over and you're the sole survivor. I'm forced to hold up my end of the contract. What is your wish?" Because of the previous question he asked me, I'm rather unsure whether or not I should ask for it. "Look, Ashlynn. If your wish is to just sit there and waste my time, you can do it for only another minute. But if not, you're going to need to tell me."

"I want to have sex with you!" I yell, then I slap my hand over my mouth and look down embarrassed as ever. I can't look at him now. _What were you thinking?! Dammit, Ashlynn! You moron! You rehearsed this! You were going to play it cool and say it like it's just a normal wish. Idiot! Dammit! Stupid! Fuck!_

"Oh, Ashlynn," Calypso says calmly. " _That_ is your wish?" Without looking up or speaking, I just nod. "You don't want power or money? A mansion or a vacation?" He states. "Not even what you told Kingsley you wanted? You know, for this competition to end?"

I look up and just say, "no." I meet his gaze and he just smiles a sinister smile that sends an uneasy chill down my spine. "Your wish is granted."


	2. Chapter 2

Like Calypso said last night, my wish was granted. I had sex with him. It shouldn't have been that big of a shock to find out that he was into BDSM, but damn, was last night exciting! I was collared, blindfolded, bound, and gagged. I was spanked, whipped, slapped, had my hair pulled, hot wax dripped all over me. Holy shit. A lot happened last night. But if all that was his notable dark twist, it was surprisingly enjoyable. I guess he didn't know I was into that stuff. At the end of the night, he had me sleep on the floor by his bed with the collar still on.

He's still asleep next to me. How could a man considered to be so evil look so peaceful when he sleeps? He didn't give me indication what he wants me to do in the morning. Will he show me out when wakes up? Does he want me to leave before he does? Maybe I should go. I smile and think to myself, ' _Perhaps I could participate next year and do this again._ '

I get out of bed, remove the collar, and quietly get dressed, trying not wake him. As I tiptoe to the door, I hear him stir in bed and then say something, "As soon as you go out there, it wouldn't be what you expect."

I look at him in confusion and ask, "What do you mean?"

He stands up and wraps the blanket around him (I have forgot that he slept naked last night). "I mean exactly what I said," he tells me. Pointing to the door, he explains, "Outside that door, is a different place from what it was last night. It's not my doing; it's my boss's." He pauses. _Was that a look of fear in his eyes just now?_ "I'd mentally prepare myself if I were you before going out there. Even I don't know what's in store for you now."

"Your boss? Who is your boss?" I ask him, still completely confused. "And why must I _mentally prepare_ myself?"

He sits on the bed and sighs, "I truly only answer to one, but there are several of them. I do not know who you will meet and what will happen to you next. I just ask that whoever you encounter, you must hold onto that spirit you had during the competition. You must survive as I did."

"Survive as you did?" I echo. "You've been through this too?"

"Something similar," he stands back up, gets serious, and takes me to the door. "It is unwise to keep them waiting," he commands. "My apologies, Ashlynn. But you must go." He then pushes me out and as he closes the door. I stand there dumbfounded staring at the other side of the door and hear his voice on the other side say one last thing, "I am Calypso and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal."

Though confused as to why he suddenly pushed me out, I did giggle a little to the sound of him saying his parting phrase. I then hang my head, close my eyes, and let out a long disdainful sigh to the realization that it's all over. But as soon as my eyes open, the door is gone and I find myself on a dirt path in the middle of a forest.


	3. Chapter 3

I jump back, shocked at the immediate change in my location. I then catch the sound of someone humming. I follow the path and reach a clearing. In the clearing, there is a table with 3 chairs on one side and one throne-like chair on the other. There is food on the table and a big decorative candlestick in the middle with 3 lit candles. The humming is by the one sitting in the throne. He doesn't see me out of his peripheral vision due to the fact that I'm approaching from partially behind him. He's dressed funny. _What's with the purple suit? It looks ridiculous. And are those pink ruffles on the sleeves?_

"I honestly don't care what you think of my outfit, miss Ashlynn." The man speaks, as if answering my thoughts. "This happens to be my favorite suit anyways."

He then stands up and I see him from the front. _Oh, it's a_ _red_ _and purple suit._ He has neatly combed grey hair and a grey goatee. _And he's blind too? Wow._ _That_ _explains the outfit._

The man shakes his head, "I just said I don't care what you think, so why must you insist on continuing?" He then laughs and adds, "And no, miss Ashlynn. I am not blind. I can see you quite clearly."

"Y-you can... You can read my thoughts?" I ask hesitantly.

"Oh, I can do so much more than that," he says smugly. He invites me to the table saying, "Do sit and eat. I had this prepared for you because I knew that Mr. Sparks was unable to provide you breakfast." He then promptly sits back in his seat without another word.

I stand there in silence, hesitant on what to do. _What did he mean by he's able to do more?_

"I know you're confused," he answers my thought again. "I will explain over breakfast."

I glance over my shoulder and look down the path. "That only leads back here," he says. He doesn't even see me looking, he just knew. My stomach begins to growl. "See, you're hungry," he says. "Come and eat." Without looking back at me, he beckons me to the table with his hand. I succumb to my hunger and sit down.

There's bread, cheese, apples, a whole apple pie, and what looks like an elephant snout. Also 3 different bottles of what looks like some sort of alcohol. I take an apple and commence to eating it. I just stare down at my plate and not look up at him. _I hope he's not crazy. Please don't be crazy._ He then begins laughing loudly. _Dear gods, he_ _is_ _crazy._ "There's a difference between being crazy and being mad, Ashlynn. There is no embodiment of crazy. Wait, scratch that. Everyone has claimed once or twice that they've dated the embodiment of crazy. But that's different." He then grabs a bottle and pours a himself a mug. _I forgot he could read my thoughts. Fuck. Is nothing sacred with this guy?_ "Don't be angry, Ashlynn," he says calmly as he takes a drink. "I find your constant fails for privacy quite amusing." He then pours himself another mug.

I then come to this realization: _Since he can read my thoughts, I guess there is no need for me to speak._ "Don't be like that, Ashlynn," He huffs. "Thoughts are boring and monotonous. Voices are vibrant and beautiful."

"Is that why you chose that suit?" I say, finally looking up at him. "For it's vibrance and beauty?"

"No," he answers. "I chose it because my predecessor wore it. As I became him, I grew to like it."

"Became him?" I echo. "You mean that's a uniform or something?"

"No, I just like the suit," he answers. There is brief silence, then he pipes back up, "Oh, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness. And this," he raises his arm and motions towards the trees around us, "is my personal garden in the Shivering Isles." He pours a mug for each of us, hands me mine, and says me, "It's mead with honey. They call it Honningbrew Mead. It's good, trust me."

' _Trust you' Yeah, whatever._ I take a sip and he was right. It's actually pretty good. "Shivering Isles, huh?" I look around at the glum clearing and trees surrounded by thin fog. "Just looks like a hazy forest to me." Then confusion hits me. "Wait, what's your name again? And you're a what of madness?"

Sheogorath smiles widely and begins, "Oh, I love it when you particular mortals have never even heard of me. You'd think that I'd be angry about that, being a Daedric Prince and all, but I don't have an ego. Now, Mehrunes, _he_ has an ego! The usual mortals I deal with at least know my name – Sheogorath. But where you come from, you have never heard of me or any of the Daedra. You guys don't even know what Daedra are. I love it even more how I, the Daedric Prince of Madness, am the one who gets to teach you. Oh, this is going to be fun!"

I sit there in dumbfounded silence. _What did I get myself into? I thought Twisted Metal was it. When I won and got my prize, I thought that was the end if it. I would just get my night with Calypso and go home. This wasn't supposed to happen. No. This_ _isn't_ _happening. This isn't real. This is not real. This. Is. Not. Real._

Sheogorath leans toward me and says matter-of-factly, "Oh, it's real, Ashlynn. As real as the bruise around your neck from Mr. Sparks' collar."

"Bruise?" I panic and pick up a silver plate to look at my reflection. Indeed, I have a bruise around my neck the shape of the collar I wore last night. I touch it and it's still tender. I throw the plate down and yell, "How do you know about last night?!"

"The other Daedra and I have been watching the whole Competition," he answers. He refills his mug again, smiles coyly, and adds, "Only I know what happened last night."

My eyes go wide and I snatch the bottle from Sheogorath. I start chugging the contents of the bottle. I just want to forget the this whole situation. This encounter, the night with Calypso, Twisted Metal, all of it. If this is happening, I don't want to remember _any_ of it.

Sheogorath angrily snatches the bottle back and snaps, "It is unwise to take something from a Daedric Prince."

I slap the bottle out of his hand and it falls to the ground, causing it to shatter and whats left of the wine to spill all over the ground. "I don't care!" I yell angrily. "I just want to go ho..."

Sheogorath lunges at me, pinning me to the ground. I struggle in vain because he's too strong. He laughs maliciously at the sight of my fear. "Not only is it unwise to take something from a Daedric Prince," he yells furiously, "it's plain stupid to piss one off, especially the Daedric Prince of Madness. You see, Ashlynn. Madness can come in many forms. It can be controlling and have you locked away from everyone. Or it can be overly cheerful and laugh at everything. Or it can violent and uncaring of any consequences." He lean in and whispers in my ear, "Do you want violent madness, my dear?"

I fearfully shake my head and he let's me go. Sheogorath fixed up his pink ruffles on his sleeve and says, "I thought I would be able to explain everything on our first meeting, but I guess we'll try again later." He turns and begins walking away. I get off the ground and as I look up, he's gone. I look around and see that the table is also gone, but a bed has appeared in it's place. There is a night gown and note set on the pillow...

* * *

Ashlynn-

Due to your outburst, I have decided to leave you alone for a day. It may not have felt like it, but it's been a good 12 hours. Get some rest and I will return tomorrow.

-Sheogorath

* * *

Since I have just experienced his violent side, I am too fearful not to do as the note says. I look around to see if anyone is watching and I change in the night gown and get in the bed. I blink and it's night. I am suddenly stricken with exhaustion and I fall asleep not long after.


	4. Chapter 4

When I awake, I see nothing but darkness. I realize that I am blindfolded. I try to move, but I am bound. I try to scream, but I am gagged. I panic and squirm around, causing my restraints to rattle.

"You're finally awake, mortal," I hear a low growl. "We can finally begin." I feel a sharp object lightly run up my bare leg. "You're mind is strong," he growls as the sharp object runs across my back and around my shoulder, " but like all mortals, your body is weak." _No, I don't want this._

The sharp object reaches my chest and stops. Pressure is applied and I wince. I fail to cry out, but to no avail. _Make it stop._

"Sheogorath cannot break you," he growls. "But I certainly can."

"Molag Bal! Get your claws off that girl!" I hear someone yell. _Sheogorath, is that you?_

"She is mine, Sheogorath!" Molag Bal growls loudly. "I _always_ get the Twisted Metal winner! You and all the Princes know that!" _Am I a mere trophy to this guy or something?_

"I claimed her soul in the beginning, Molag!" Sheogorath shouts. "You know she belongs to me!" _I belong to_ _nobody_ _!_

"As soon as she's out of your protection, Sheogorath," Molag Bal roars angrily, "she's as good as mine!" I then smell smoke and all goes quiet. _Is it over?_

My restraints and blindfold are removed and Sheogorath tosses a thin black cloak over me. It looks as if I'm in an dark, decrepit bedroom. He glares at me and huffs angrily. I look back at him in confusion and fear. "What did _I_ do?" I ask.

"You're complaining didn't help any," Sheogorath huffs.

"Complaining?" I echo inquisitively.

Sheogorath shakes his head. "You have forgotten that I can still hear your thoughts," he sighs. "You're just lucky Molag didn't know what you were thinking." He then takes me by the arm and leads me outside to a gloomy, dark courtyard where a glowing blue doorway appears. We go through and we're back in the forest clearing.

Sheogorath quickly let go of my arm and I tumble to the ground. I get up and dust myself off, then ask him, "What was that place?"

The doorway disappears and Sheogorath tells me, "Coldharbour."

"Cold-what?" I ask, confused.

Sheogorath walks over to a table that's appeared out of nowhere. _I guess I should get used to the sudden change of surroundings around here._ "Molag Bal's plane of Oblivion, Coldharbour," Sheogorath explains, "is a sort of mirror to the planet Nirn. Except the mirror is filthy and disgusting." He motions for me to sit down and adds, "Will you allow me to explain everything today without another outburst?" I nod and sit quietly.

Sheogorath hands me a mug of mead and begins to explain, "All the Princes knew of other worlds beyond Nirn, the planet where most of our influence resides. But since none of us were known elsewhere, our influence was practically nonexistent." He pauses and asks me, "Do you know how far the planet Nirn is from your Earth?"

Looking down at my drink, I quietly answer, "No, sir."

Sheogorath laughs, " _Sir_? How quaint." He proceeds, "There is a satellite far from it's home planet of Earth that beams photos back to it. It's camera has quite a range, but Nirn is still too far away to be seen. If I am correct, Nirn is about eight times the distance that satellite can see." _Eight times? Wow._

"Wow, indeed," Sheogorath says in response to my thought. He then continues to explain, "To _my_ surprise, the Daedric Prince of Wishes, Clavicus Vile was the first to reach out to Earth. He saw that someone had a death wish and he happily obliged. Took him a good number of years to finally finish the deal. Shame the man's daughter went down with him."

"Wait, who is this man?" I ask, looking up from my plate.

Sheogorath answers, "His name was Johnny Sparks." He smiles smugly and takes a sip from his mug, then adds, "But you know him better as Calypso." _That's what he meant by my need to survive like he did._

"Not quite, Ashlynn," Sheogorath says in response to my thought. "What he was referring to was what came after." He pours himself another mug and proceeds explaining, "The reason it took so long for Mr. Sparks' wish to finally come to fruition was because Clavicus had to prepare a special place in his Plane just for him. As soon as Mr. Sparks' had his wish granted, he was forced to participate in his own demolition derby of running from a Dremora for all eternity. Thing is, Mr. Sparks out ran the Dremora and beat Clavicus at his own game." _I never knew about this._

"Nobody did, Ashlynn," Sheogorath responds to my thought again. "But because Mr. Sparks beat the Dremora, he was given a new chance at life," he takes a sip from his mug. "It was revealed that Clavicus began to enjoy demolition derbies, but hated how most who participated lived. He gave a little bit of his power to Mr. Sparks and, in turn, had him run a new demolition derby where the last one left alive gets one wish. Anything their heart desired."

"And the other participants lose their souls to him," I say. "I know that part. Calypso made it clear."

"No, Mr. Sparks doesn't get their souls," Sheogorath says. "Clavicus does. Or at least _did_."

"What changed?" I ask.

"The other Daedric Princes caught on to Clavicus Vile's schemes," Sheogorath answers. "And we wanted in on it. He was reluctant at first, but none of us let up and eventually he gave in. So now every year, all the Princes get together and choose which participant's soul they want. Most of us play by the rules and stick with the one soul we chose, but not all." _Molag Bal._

"Yes, Ashlynn," Sheogorath says. "Molag always want the winner. He is the Daedric Prince of Domination and even though he didn't know what happened to you the night you had your wish granted, he still knew what you really wanted. He thinks because of that you will be his ultimate prize." There is short pause and Sheogorath adds, "To him, you are just an object to claim as a mere trophy. But to me," he lets out a long sigh. "To me, the mind is the best thing anyone can have."

I sit there in silence and let everything I learned sink in. I finally speak up and ask, "If you're already in my head, what more do you want of me? Why am I still here?"

"I'm not fully inside your head. I can only read your thoughts and plants seeds through your mortal senses. It's up to you to have them grow," he answers. "But if you allow me in, _I_ can nurture them for with little effort from you." There's a pause. "I may be a madman myself," he sighs and hands me a mug of mead, "but even madness can bring clarity. Just let me in and I can show you. Only then will you be free to go."


	5. Chapter 5

When I was finally told what must happen, I couldn't believe it. Sheogorath wants me to go mad. My judgment was clouded by my desire to get close to Calypso for one night and because of that... _Oh, what did I get myself into?_ _Was it_ _madness for me even join the Twisted Metal competition in the first place?_

"In a way, yes," Sheogorath answers my thought. "But the madness I offer is so much more, so much _better_." I don't like the emphasis he put on that last word.

"I don't want to go mad," I tell him in a shaky voice.

"The moment you signed away your soul," Sheogorath explains, "you lost the chance to choose what you want. Now either you let me in or I'll leave you alone till you change your mind, and believe me, you won't like the latter."

 _If that's my two choices, I'd rather be left alone._ Sheogorath sighs angrily. He slams his hands on the table and yells, "Fine!" I blink and all goes black.

He's gone. Everything is gone. No table. No forest. No sky. No ground. No light. It's as if my eyes are still closed. I stumble around in the dark and try feeling around for anything tangible. Nothing. I am alone.

"Hello?!" I yell into the darkness, but there is no answer. I continue to search for anything I can grab onto. "Sheogorath?!" I cry, and still silence. I begin to panic. It feels as if I've been in the dark for a millennium. I am exhausted. I can't continue like this. _I should've let him in._ I curl into the fetal position and go to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

When I wake, I am back in the grim room I was in when Molag Bal had me. I hurriedly crawl into the corner and look around. I see the restraints hanging up in the middle of the room, the blindfold on the floor, hanging on the wall are ropes and whips and... maces... and axes... and knives. _I'm going to die here._

There is loud roar from outside, "You can't hide from me, mortal!" It's the same voice from last time I was here: Molag Bal. "Come out here now!" he roars. I shudder and whine in fear.

Suddenly there is a loud crash, the whole room shakes, and the ceiling falls in on top of me. I'm pinned underneath the rubble, both my legs are seething in intense pain, and worst of all, I see the monster who did this.

A large, pitch black, skeletal being is staring down at me. He grabs me, picking me up high above the demolished building. I am eye to eye with this monster, with Molag Bal. "You're mine, mortal," he growls. I scream loudly as he crushes me in his hand. "You belong to _me_ now." _No. ANYTHING but this!_

Then, right after I have my thought, I feel nothing. The pain stops. Molag Bal stops. Time itself stops. _What the fuck is happening?_ " _Anything, Ashlynn?_ " I hear Sheogorath's whisper in my mind. _Yes. If letting you in makes this stop, yes!_

* * *

I blink. I'm back in the garden, lying on the ground. I turn and look back at the table. Sheogorath is still gone. I'm still alone. _Was that really just a dream?_ "Hello?!" I yell. "Sheogorath?!" Still no answer. I sit back at the table, stare longingly at the empty throne, and sigh dishearteningly. _It was just a dream. I should've let him in. At least then I wouldn't be alone._

"Are you changing your mind?" I jump at Sheogorath's question, breaking the silence. He's standing by his seat.

"I... I, um..." I stammer. Suddenly having second thoughts, realizing that what I just experienced _was_ _o_ _nly a dream_.

"Was it, Ashlynn?" He asks me, sitting back down. " _Was_ it only a dream?"

"It had to have been!" I yell.

"Well, have you ever seen Molag Bal's true form before?" Sheogorath leans back in his chair and calmly asks me. "If it was really a dream, how can you possibly even remember his appearance in such great detail?"

I think back at my dream and remember that horrid creature that grabbed me. _He's right. I couldn't have just dreamed up that._ "That really happened?"

Sheogorath nods curtly. "It did."

"You said if I chose not to let you in, you'd leave me alone," I say. "I thought you meant forever."

Sheogorath shakes his head and smiles, "I chose you, Ashlynn. I will _never_ leave you alone."

"So you let Molag Bal do that to me?!" I yell angrily.

"I guess I should finally confess something to you, shouldn't I?" He laughs. "None of that was dream, nor did it really happen."

"What are you talking about?" I question him.

"You probably don't remember this, but before you fell asleep in the Void," Sheogorath explains, "you said, well _thought_ , 'I should've let him in.' I took that as an invitation and as punishment for defying me the first time I asked, I put you through an illusion." He points to the place I was laying and adds, "It was actually quite entertaining watching you. It made me not want to break it."

I sit there in dumbfounded silence. A mix of anger, doubt, regret, and a plethora of other emotions wash over me. _What's going to happen now?_

"I'm going let you go," Sheogorath says. "I'm returning you to the mortal plane." _Wait, he didn't speak. I heard that in my head._ "You're getting it now," he adds with a laugh.

He stands up, takes me by the hand, and leads me down a dirt path. We reach the edge of a tall grassy hill that overlooks a magnificent landscape. To my right, tall mushroom-like plants and colorful trees. To my left, swamps, bogs, and dark forests. "This is what awaits you when you return," I hear his voice in my head. "The life you live from this point on will determine whether you are fit for Mania," he points to the right, "or Dementia." He points to the left. "Both are beautiful in their own way and you are welcome to a home in either one."

Sheogorath looks me in the eyes and speaks aloud, "The life you once knew is gone and what is in store for you now is the new life you must live." He smiles smugly, "Obey my guidance and you will survive." He then guides me right to the edge and abruptly commands, "Now close your eyes." Before I could ask why, Sheogorath pushes me. I free fall towards the ground. I close my eyes as I'm about to hit the jagged rocks below.

* * *

I hit the ground with a thud. I open my eyes and I find myself lying on a wooden floor. My clothes have changed. I'm wearing a thick, wool dress. The room is empty, nothing but dusty furniture and cobwebs. It's too bright to be Coldharbour. I look out a window and see that I am in what looks like a medieval town. _Where the fuck am I?_

In my head, I hear Sheogorath talking, "The mortal plane. Mundus. Nirn. Tamriel. Skyrim. Solitude. Blue Palace. Pelagius wing." He then laughs like the madman he is. I drop to the floor, completely unsure about what to do now.

Sheogorath's laughter dies down and I hear his voice in my head again. "Reach into your bag, Ashlynn. I allowed you to keep a little something to remind you of home." I reach into my bag and pull out my mp3 player. _The battery won't last. It's impossible to charge it here._ "Don't worry about it. I've allowed it to have infinite battery power." _But how?_ "I said not to worry about it, Ashlynn." _Alright. Whatever._ "Turn it on," he says with a laugh. "I've picked out a song whose title is perfect for this occasion." I put in my ear buds and turn on the music. A Daughtry song starts playing... **It's Not Over**.


	7. Part 2 whereabouts

Part 2 will be added to the _**NON -CROSSOVER**_ "Elder Scrolls series" section


End file.
